Writing a Research Report 1
Truong Van Anh
HUFLIT

An overview: Writing a research report
I. What is a research report?
A research report is a paper written by an
investigator to describe a research study that he or
she has completed. The purpose of the research is to
explain to others in the field what the objectives,
methods, and the findings of the study were.
Research is a serious study of a subject in order to
discover new facts and ideas or test new ideas.
Research is a series of activities of finding
information about something.

II. Information conventions of a research report
The different types of research reports are journal
articles,
term
papers,
graduation
theses,
dissertations
In a research report, the writer describes the
completed research. There are discussions of what
was done, how it was done, and the results and
conclusions of the research. The significance of the
research is also addressed.

Organization of a Research Report
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Literature review
Method (short)
4. Result
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
7. References

An overview: Writing a research report
III. Types of research
Non-experimental research, experimental research,
causal-comparative research, case study, poll,
interview, survey, historical research, pure research,
applied research, primary research, secondary
research, theoretical research, empirical research
and descriptive research, etc.

Exercises:
Identify the types of the following research:
1. A way to get customers to consume more coffee.
2. A machine takes care of children.
3. A research report of the development of
Vietnamese aquaculture.
4. A way to attract more tourists to Monkey Island.
5. A way to put the activities at Saigon University
campus in better order.
6. The influence of Nguyen Dinh Chieu's patriotic
thought on the movements of resistant war in
South Vietnam.

IV. Kinds of research methods often used in
tourism and hospitalities
Quantitative method
Qualitative method
In field of tourism and hospitalities, the research
methods have four categories: Case study,
multivariate methods, conceptual approach and
survey research method.

V. The research process
According to Weaver and Oppermann, there are
seven stages in the research process.
1. Problem recognition
2. Question formulation
3. Identification of data requirements
4. Data collection
5. Data analysis
6. Data presentation
7. Data interpretation

VI. Guidelines for writing a research proposal
Research proposals include: name, title, statement
of objective, background, methodology, outline,
timescale and references.

VII. Some tips for student researchers
- Narrowing down the area of study.
- Research methods and writing skills
- Participation in workshops and conferences.
- Participation in contests
- Financial aids

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
I. Overview
General information about the research.
There are five parts in the introduction:
- Background: context
- Literature review: Brief report of what has been done.
- Scopes: The limits of the study
- Objectives: The aim/purpose of the study
- Organization: The parts of the study (how the report is
constructed or organized)

II. Information conventions and language
conventions
2.1 Background
2.1.1 Information conventions: In this part, you can
establish a setting or a context for your research by
a. Moving from general to specific (funnel method)
b. Raising a problem.
c. Or raising a demand
2.1.2 Language conventions
a. Verb tenses: present tense, past tense
b. Nouns: generic nouns

2.2 Objectives
2.2.1 Information conventions:
2.2.2 Language conventions
a. Verb tenses: present, past, or future
b. To – infinitives are often used.
c. Research questions are often implied in this part
in forms of phrases or embedded questions.
2.3 Scopes
2.3.1 Information conventions:
2.3.2 Language conventions
a. Verb tenses: present or past

b. Common verbs: cover, comprise, include, exclude,
focus on, involve, be limited to, etc.
c. Common nouns: scope, focus, emphasis
d. Common phrases: This section can also begin
with a gap statement telling that an important
research area has nor been investigated by other
authors. Little, very few, no, but, however, although,
while, etc. are often used.
2.4 Organization
2.3.1 Information conventions:
2.3.2 Language conventions
a. Verb tenses: present tense

b. Passive voice is common
c. Words showing sequences are used
d. Some common verbs: address, analyze, express,
describe, discuss, demonstrate, present, follow,
introduce, concern, give an overview, outline,
mention, conclude, consider, list, deal with, begin,
etc.

Good luck!